[ZDM]

A while ago I mention that I won a bid on a set of authentic Ducati cam belts for my 999. ($104-free ship) not too bad. Some were concerned that they might not be new stock. I received then the other day and rest assured they are brand new-no doubt. Made by Gates U.K. for Ducati.
That said I did have a chance to match my new belt teeth to my existing belt teeth which now have 5000 miles on them. I found the old teeth to show very little if any wear. I'm not sure what to look for exactly in a worn belt, besides the obvious, for now they are in excellent condition. Now I can't see any damage within the belt that would lead to a failure. Nothing on my belts appears to be stretched or frayed.
I doubt that I'll change over the belts until they have at least 7500 miles. With todays technology it's hard to believe a belt cannot be developed to last at least 10,000 guaranteed.

 

[tonered]

It's internal wear and failure that happens. It's hard to think about on a flexible part, but think of a piece of carbon fiber or plate aluminium. Do you see it begin to fail? No, it just snaps while looking pristine seconds earlier.

Surely the latest gen belts will last longer, but the replacement specs are based on worst case scenarios (hysteresis during use, extreme heat/cold cycling, dusty/dirty environment, long periods of rest on small radius pulleys, and possible out of spec tension). How does anyone know if they fall in that category or not? Unless someone owns enough Ducs to conduct statistical sampling for a certain environment, they can only trust what the MFG has determined.

Also, independent folks who work on Ducs don't funk with the intervals. So, there's no reason I am going to.

Have a good one.

 

[Chuckracer]

Search result:

http://www.ducati.ms/forums/showthread.php?t=60931&highlight=belts

http://www.ducati.ms/forums/search.php?searchid=1613086

 

[tye1138]

Worn belts are pretty easy to diagnose. First off, the writing on the outside of the belt will be missing. Instead, you'll see marks in between the teeth on the flat part of the belt. You can usually feel them with your finger on the flat part as well.

Also, the edges can get torn/worn very easily. So if you see any wear marks on the edges, thats cause for alarm.

The belts we use today, haven't changed in years. Testastretta's have always had good belts, so nothing to worry about. Belts should last 12k with no problem, some people run them for considerably longer.